Arrangement of cylinders and their connections for locomotive-engines



UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

AARON SMETHURST, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARRANGEMENT OF CYLINDERS AND THEIR CONNECTIONS FOR LOCOMOTlVE-ENGlNI-S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,71 2, dated November24, 1857.

To @ZZ wiz/0m, t may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON SMETHURST, of the city of Philadelphia, in theState of Pennsylvania and the United States of America, have invented anew Arrangement ot' Cylinders and their Connections for Locomotive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention consists inthe arrangement of two cylinderson two crosssection braces in the center of the frame-work commonly usedfor the working of steam-engines, so to drive two pistons in eachcylinder connected by main rods to two crankaxles, one ahead and theother att the engine, thereby avoiding the lateral motion so destructiveto steam-engines and their running-gear and saving the valves at thesame time from the injurious effects so commonly caused from theexpansion and contraction of the boiler. In this arrangement thevalveopenings have two end openings in the steamehest and a centeropening, by which means I am able to operate two pistons in one cylinderand give direct power to two sets of drivers at the same time ahead andaft the engine, thereby acquiring increased power and saving friction byavoiding an eXtra steamchest and valve-gearing.

To enable others to construct and put into Operation my said invention,I willproceed to give a full and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanping drawings, and letters ofreference marked thereon.

I construct my engine by introducing into an ordinary cylinder, asmarked A A in'Figu re 2, longitudinal section, two pistons D D' insteadof one, so that each piston will drive an axle in the ordinary manner,as shown in the iigu re G G. The steam-chestB B B is placed on thecylinder A A, so as to bring the center opening l l, which separates thepistons D D exactly over the center of the cylinder A A. The two endopenings Y and Z, which drive the pistons D D toward the center of thecylinder A A, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, are located a little toward oneend of the cylinder A A, so that the valve IV in its travel over thevalve-seat V covers and uncovers the end openings Y and Z in the samemanner as the valve covers and uncovers the end openings in the ordinarycylinderwith a single piston. The loose tumbler R R is made by boring astraight lever in the center and fitting it to the rock-shaft No. 6, sothat one end of it is moved by the fork S of the reverse-lever T, whichthrows the eccentric-rod K out of gear, while the other end plays in thelink of the eccentric-rod L and throws it int-o gear.

I will now proceed to give a description of the drawings hereto annexed,Figs. l, 2, and 3, which represent a locomotive-engine combining myimprovements, to whichI give the name of The Union Steam-Engine.

In the drawings, Fig. l represents a top view of the Union steam-enginewithout the boiler. A A are the cylinders; B B, the steamchests, withsectional view of steam-pipes; C C C, exhaust-pipes connecting with thesmokestack; D D and D D,pistonrods; E Eand E E, cross-heads; F F and FF, main rods; G G and G G, cranks and bearings; F No. 1, F No. 2, F No.3, and F No. 4, vertical guides; II H, main driving-wheels; H H,independent driving-wheels; i j 71: Z, ec-

centrics and rods; M M M M M M, outside cranks and pins connected byrods N N; O O O O O O, springs and caps resting on driving-brasses; P P,water-rams for supplying the boiler; Q Q, outside frame-work; Q Q',inside frame-work; R R, loose tumbler fitted to the rock-shafts Nos. 5and G; S S, reverseforks keyed on the reverse-shaft T at such points asto operate on the loose tumblers R R, simultaneously throwing theeccentricrods j 7c Z in and out of gear; T, reverse-lever; T,reverse-shaft; U U, valve-rod and connection with rock-arms S S; Nos. 2and 2, crosssection braces for vertical guides; Nos. 4 4, upper andlower chambers of the pumps for supplying the boilerwith water, as seenunder the exhaustpipes C C; Nos. 5 and 6, rockshat'ts; No. 7, centerbearings of rock-shafts; 8 S', rock-arms; 9 f), outside bearings ofrockshat't-s; lO l0, bea-rings for reverse shafts.

Fig.' 2 represents a longitudinal section ot',

the Union steam engine. A A, cylinder; B B, steam-chest; D D,piston-rods; D' D', pistons on the outward stroke; E E, crossheads; FNo. 2 and F No. 4, vertical guides; G G, cranks; H II, maindriving-wheels;

H, independent driving-Wheel K K, forward eccentric and eccentric-rod; LL, back eccentric and eccentric-rod O O, springs and studs; Q Q, insideof frame; R R, loose tumbler fitted to rock-shaft No. 6; S,reverse-fork; T, reverse-lever; T reverse-shaft; U, Valverod; U, rodconnecting valve-rod With rockarm S; V, valve-seat; XV, slide-valve; X,eX- hanst-opening; Y Y Z, end openings and steam-passages; l1, centeropening communieating steam to the center of the cylinder.

Fig. 3 represents the valve-seat and steampassages from steam-chest tocylinder; B B, steam-chest; V V, Valve-seat; X, exhaust- 1eme opening; YY Z Z, end openings and steampassages; l, center opening.

Whzttl claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The arrangement of the two double-piston cylinders herein described withtheir connecting means in relation to the frame of the engine, as hereinset forth.

AARON SMETHURST. Witnesses:

R. WARRINEO, WILLIAMS OGLE, HENRY T. GROUT.

